To produce a pistol capable of safely functioning ammunition loaded to rifle pressures it is essential that there be an adequate breech lock mechanism such as that disclosed in copending application SN 07/251,311 for Gun Lockand Gas Operating System filed 9-30-88 by George L. Reynolds and issuing Mar. 20, 1990 as Pat. No. 4,909,129. A 9.5 mm cartridge has been developed and loaded to function at peak chamber pressure of about 55,000 psi. A pistol firing such a cartridge must be manageable by novice shooters and therefore must have design features that permit superior weapon control compared to pistols in current use.
In weapons of moderately high recoil, and which are designed to be fired rapidly with aimed shots, it is desirable to place the centerline of the barrel as low as possible relative to the shooter's hand. This is in order to reduce the overturning moment of the weapon due to recoil. This overturning moment results in what is commonly referred to as "muzzle flip". Greater muzzle flip results in the weapon sights moving farther off the target, and requiring more time for the shooter to bring the sights back onto the target than when the pistol has lesser muzzle flip.
Conventional pistols generate muzzle flip at the time of firing. The farther below the center line of the barrel the weapon is gripped, the greater the amount of muzzle flip. This upward movement is caused by the barrel's tendency to recoil in a linear plane but because of being supported by the shooter's grip below the center line of the barrel, rotation takes place about the gripping point. This causes the muzzle to rise up away from the shooter's line of sight with the target. This problem is magnified when rapid firing is performed as the shooter must reaim the pistol after each firing.